Health Care Professions is about the many people who keep us healthy, from doctors and nurses to therapists and technicians. You'll research a wide range of careers, visit a professional at work, and volunteer in a health setting. It's a great way to discover where your interests might lead.
Why it's worth it
When you picture health care, you might think of doctors and nurses, but a hospital also runs on X-ray techs, pharmacists, physical therapists, lab scientists, paramedics, and dozens more. This badge lets you look at many of those jobs side by side, see one up close, and help out at a real health event. You'll learn what training each path takes, so if you're drawn to helping people stay healthy, you'll know where to start.
Start this week
- Make a list of every health care worker you or your family have met in the past year, from a school nurse to a dentist to a pharmacist.
- Ask your Scoutmaster for the name of a Health Care Professions counselor, and send them a short message with a parent copied to set up a first meeting.
- Ask a parent whether a relative, neighbor, or family doctor might let you visit their workplace for requirement 5.
- Check with a parent for upcoming blood drives, health fairs, or senior center events where young volunteers can help.
Stay safe
- When you volunteer in a health setting, follow the facility's rules for hand washing and staying out of patient areas, and work with a supervisor and buddy.
Requirements · 9
Every official requirement and part, numbered to match Scouting America, in plain language. Sign off against the official wording (opens in a new tab).
- Requirement 1
Pick 3 Group 1 professions that interest you: medical doctor (MD) or osteopathic doctor (DO), any specialty; nurse practitioner (NP); chiropractor (DC); podiatrist (DPM); optometrist (OD); audiologist (AudD); psychologist (PhD or PsyD)
Tip: Pick three Group 1 professions that sound interesting and look up the training, duties, and work settings for each.
For example: For each profession you research, make a one-page fact sheet: what they do, the training it takes, where they work, the hours, and one thing that surprised you. Doing all twelve the same way makes comparing them easy.
- Requirement 1a
Give your counselor a short description of the part each of your 3 Group 1 professions plays in health care
- Requirement 1b
Describe to your counselor the schooling and licenses each of your 3 Group 1 professions needs
- Requirement 2
Pick 3 Group 2 professions that interest you: physician assistant (PA); registered nurse (RN); licensed practical nurse (LPN/LVN); certified nurse assistant (CNA); certified nurse midwife (CNM); nurse anesthetist (CRNA); pharmacist (PharmD); pharmacy technician; EMT/paramedic
Tip: Choose three Group 2 professions, including ones you hadn't heard of before. A school counselor can point you to good sources.
- Requirement 2a
Give your counselor a short description of the part each of your 3 Group 2 professions plays in health care
- Requirement 2b
Describe to your counselor the schooling and licenses each of your 3 Group 2 professions needs
- Requirement 3
Pick 3 Group 3 professions that interest you: physical therapist (DPT); occupational therapist (OT); speech-language pathologist (SLP); respiratory therapist (RT); orthotist/prosthetist; medical appliance technician; medical assistant; dietitian (RD)
Tip: Research three Group 3 professions and compare how long each takes to train for.
- Requirement 3a
Give your counselor a short description of the part each of your 3 Group 3 professions plays in health care
- Requirement 3b
Describe to your counselor the schooling and licenses each of your 3 Group 3 professions needs
- Requirement 4
Pick 3 Group 4 professions that interest you: biomedical engineer (BME); medical technologist; radiology technologist; sonographer; phlebotomist; histotechnologist; cytopathologist; medical records specialist
Tip: Finish with three Group 4 professions and think about which of all twelve fits you best.
- Requirement 4a
Give your counselor a short description of the part each of your 3 Group 4 professions plays in health care
- Requirement 4b
Describe to your counselor the schooling and licenses each of your 3 Group 4 professions needs
- Requirement 5
Choose one career from the lists in requirements 1–4 and set up a visit with someone in that career at their workplace. Then discuss what you learned with your counselor (5a–5f)
Tip: Ask your own doctor, a pharmacist, or a family friend in one of the listed professions if you can visit their workplace.
For example: During your visit, ask to see the tools they use most and what a typical patient visit looks like. Afterward, write down three things you learned and whether you could see yourself doing that job.
- Requirement 5a
Discuss why the professional you visited picked their career
- Requirement 5b
Discuss what they like best about their job
- Requirement 5c
Discuss the biggest challenges they face in their work
- Requirement 5d
Identify tools or instruments they may use on the job
- Requirement 5e
Discuss what has surprised them most about their career
- Requirement 5f
Discuss the continuing education they need to keep their certification
- Requirement 6
Discuss with your counselor what you think the Physician's Oath means
Tip: Read the oath and talk with your counselor about what each promise means in practice.
For example: Pick two promises from the oath, like doing no harm and respecting patient privacy. Explain what each could look like in a real day, such as a doctor telling a patient honestly about the risks of a treatment.
- Requirement 7
Describe why confidentiality between patients and health care providers matters, and explain what HIPAA is
Tip: Think about why your medical information should be private and who should be allowed to see it.
For example: Think of a scenario: a nurse sees a classmate's parent at the clinic. Under HIPAA, she can't tell anyone why they were there. Explain who can see your health records and why those rules protect people.
- Requirement 8
Find a medical discovery or advance that's been in the news lately, and discuss with your counselor how it could change patient care
Tip: Find a recent news story about a new treatment or technology and think about who it helps.
For example: Choose something like a new vaccine, a robot-assisted surgery, or a wearable heart monitor. Explain how it works in simple terms, who it helps, and one question or concern people have about it.
- Requirement 9
With approval from a parent or guardian and your counselor, volunteer at a health-related event or place in your community, such as a blood drive, health fair, or blood pressure screening. Tell your counselor what you did and learned
Tip: Look for opportunities at a blood drive, health fair, hospital, or nursing home.
For example: Volunteering might look like handing out water and snacks at a blood drive canteen, setting up tables at a health fair, or helping with activities at a senior living center with your patrol.
Places to visit
Ask an adult to set it up, and go with your family, den, patrol, or crew.
A clinic, dental office, pharmacy, or hospital department
Seeing the workspace and equipment shows you what the job is really like day to day.
How: Have a parent contact a professional your family knows, or a hospital's volunteer or community relations office, and ask about a short visit with a parent along.
A fire station with paramedics or EMTs
You can see an ambulance and the equipment emergency medical crews use, and hear how they work with hospitals.
How: Have an adult call the station's non-emergency number and ask about a tour for a few Scouts or your patrol.
Where it can lead
- Registered nurseCares for patients and coordinates their treatment; can start with a two-year or four-year degree.
- EMT or paramedicGives emergency care on the way to the hospital; EMT training can start soon after high school.
- Physical therapistHelps people recover movement after injuries and surgeries.
- Medical laboratory technicianRuns the tests that help doctors find out what's wrong.
- PharmacistMakes sure medicines are safe and used correctly, and answers patients' questions.
- PhysicianDiagnoses and treats illness; takes many years of school and training after college.
Ask yourself
- Which health care jobs did you know about before, and which ones were brand new to you?
- What part of health care work seems most rewarding to you, and what seems hardest?
- How did seeing a professional at work change what you thought the job was like?
- What did you notice about how people felt at the event where you volunteered?
- If you started preparing for one of these careers now, what would your first step be?
Good questions to ask a health care professional you visit
- What made you choose this career, and would you choose it again?
- What does a normal day look like, and what's the hardest part?
- How do you protect patient privacy in your everyday work?
- What classes or experiences in high school would help someone get ready for your job?
- How has technology changed your work since you started?
Helpful reads
- Earning a merit badge, step by step, From picking a badge to getting the final signature: how to find a counselor, set up meetings safely, work the requirements, and keep your progress., Youth · Families · 6 min read
- Contacting counselors, experts, and organizations, Email and phone scripts, who to ask for, how to follow up, and how to say thanks, with a parent copied every time., Youth · Families · 7 min read
- Choosing your next merit badge, How to pick a badge you'll actually finish: start with what you care about, balance Eagle-required and just-for-fun badges, and make the most of camp., Youth · Families · 6 min read
For leaders & parents
- Invite parents who work in health care to speak at a meeting about their careers.
- Help Scouts find age-appropriate volunteer opportunities, like helping at a community blood drive.
People & places that can help
- Merit badge counselor — Talk with them early; they can explain what's expected.
- Occupational Outlook Handbook (opens in a new tab) — Training, pay, and outlook for health careers.
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (opens in a new tab) — Plain-language information on patient privacy and HIPAA.
- Local hospital or clinic — May have volunteer programs or tours for young people.
- Explore Health Careers (opens in a new tab) — Profiles of over a hundred health careers with training, pay, and what the work is like.
- MedlinePlus (opens in a new tab) — Trustworthy health information from the National Library of Medicine, good for researching advances.
- HOSA-Future Health Professionals (opens in a new tab) — A student organization for teens interested in health careers, often found in high schools.
Pairs well with
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Tips, examples, and questions are ideas from experienced leaders, not extra requirements. Your unit leader or counselor decides when a requirement is complete.